Jeff Shoop

From the Salesforce 360 Blog of July 25, 2024 "50 Sales Statistics that Reveal How Great Teams Sell," comes these statements:

"84% of business buyers expect sales reps to act as trusted advisors. But 73% say most sales interactions feel transactional."

Even if the data is a year old the transactional sales representative is always vulnerable. It is a mode we should avoid slipping into.

As soon as a "trusted advisor" sales representative shows up at the buyer's door the story can change quickly.

The trusted advisor is the salesperson that has adopted an attitude of serving customers by solving problems, is prepared with the right questions for the buyer based on homework and experience and listens intently to the buyer's response.

In the end, the advice given solves the problem and trust is established. Win Win!

How does your team fulfill the mission of the trusted advisor?

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I have long heard an old English saying, "Whatever thou art, act well thy part."

Why subscribe to this idea? We each might come up with our own answers. Part of my view is that it is a matter of service and personal progression.

For me it is a matter of service in that sometimes the work we do will often benefit others. If we are going to coach our child's basketball team, then let's be the best coaches we can be. Let's show up as our best selves.

If we are the CEO of a corporation, we have the opportunity to benefit the lives of those who work with us and for us, our customers and certainly our families. The same would be true for everyone in every role in the company.

Us at our best will lead to the best outcomes.

For me it is also matter of personal progression in that if we are striving to be the best that we can be in whatever roles we assume, we grow as we work. Every day we can be, in some way, better than the day before.

"Whatever thou art, act well thy part."

Continuing on the subject of the benefits of consistent sales activity, how about performance tracking? This pays with huge dividends in a number of ways.

Individuals and Teams

When they look back on their activities, many a salesperson I have worked with have realized areas for improvement in those activities resulting in a boost in sales for them. Sometimes that meant changes in not only activity but also strategy and method.

Sometimes they make such realizations on their own. Sometimes with the help of coaching by leadership. The point is to learn and improve.

Systems and Strategies

With some companies a well-defined "system" of success that is proven and duplicatable has led to fantastic growth when adopted by the team.

Wherever I have seen this happen I have seen terrific leaders leading the charge.

With young companies and in some industries, this can take some course correction to get to.

With one organization, after following a strategy and a system consistently for a time, it became apparent where improvements could be made. They were made and sales growth happened.

In any case, an effective CRM platform, one that is customized for the company product, strategy and processes, is very helpful.

Give us a follow. There's more to come.